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High Level Meeting on the implementation of the Regional Drought Mechanism in Myanmar

6 Apr 2016

Myanmar

Myanmar has been facing localized drought seasonally for a number of years, but the El Nino event of 2014 and 2015 made conditions considerably worse, as the dry region of central Myanmar endured one of the worst droughts in recent years. To strengthen drought monitoring and early warning, the Government of Myanmar requested to join ESCAP’s Regional Drought Mechanism, which helps drought-prone countries like Myanmar better access and utilize space technology applications to monitor drought, and align these tools with other ground-based monitoring systems and meteorological forecasts with the eventual aim of developing a comprehensive drought management system.
Implementation of the Mechanism began in 2014 with a visit by experts from China, India and Thailand, who discussed drought conditions and potential services and products with various agencies, departments and ministries of Myanmar. On 6 April 2016, this was followed by a high level meeting aimed at introducing the Regional Drought Mechanism to various Government departments, international organizations, and other stakeholders, and to develop a plan of action for 2016 and beyond.